Bee-hive



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UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE DAVID C. GRIPE, OF NORTH MANCHESTER, INDIANA.

BEE-HIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,785, dated January 18, 1881.

Application led October 13, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatL'DAvn) C. GRIPE, of North Manchester, in. the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement .in Bee-Hives, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement, taken'through the linex or, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken through the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the comb-frames.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish a bee-hive so constructed that the bees will be compelled to build the combs straight and of uniform size, that the comb-frames will be substantially supported, and that there will be no exposed metal within the hives to attract moisture and frost, and which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction and convenient in'use. ,i

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the bottom of the hive, which is set in an inclined position, and is attached at its rear edge to the back B,at a little distance from the lower edge of the said back.

O is the front of the hive, the lower end of which is attached to the bottom A at a little distance from its lower end.

D is one side of the'hive,wl1ich is attached to the side edges ofthe bottom A, front C, and back B. The other side, E, is hinged at its rear edge to the side edge of the back B, and shuts against the side edges of the bottom A and front C, where it is secured in place by a hook, F, hinged to the front O, and hooking into an eye, Gr, attached to the front edge of the said side E. With this construction access can be had to the interior of the hive by opening the side E.

Theforward end of the bottom Aprojects beyond the front C, to serve as a platform for the beesto alight upon and vtake-night from, and is beveled upon its upper side to allow rain to iiow o freely and quickly, so as not to enter the hive.

In the lower edge of the front C are formed one or `more long notches or slots, H, to serve as passage-Ways for the bees in entering and leaving the hive, which passage-ways may be provided with slides to partly or wholly close the said passage-ways, as desired.

To the sides D E, at a little distance from y their upper ends, are attached cleats I, for the lower edges of the sides of the cap J to rest upon, the said cap being made of such a size as to receive and lit upon the upper end of the hive A B C D E. The cap J is made of such a size as to receive surplus-honey boxes, which boxes are not shown in the drawings, but which, when used, stand upon the divisionboard K. The division-board K rests upon the upper edges of the back, front, and sides B C D Eof the hive, and has stops L attached to its lower side to lit into the angles of the hive to keep the said division-board in place. The division board K has slots M formed through it, as shown in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig.. 2, to give the bees access to the interior of the cap J.

ln the back B is formed an opening, the sides of which are rabbeted at the inner side to receive the glass plate N, and are beveled at the outer side to receive the beveled edges of the board O. One side edge of the board O is inserted beneath the beveled end of the station ary button P, attached 'to the said back B, and its other side edge is secured in place by the button Q, pivoted to the said back B, so that by removing the board O the interior of the hive can be inspected to see how the bees are progressing with their work.

To the board O is attached a knob, R, for convenience in inserting and removing the said board.

S are the comb-frames, which are made rectangular in form, and have bars T secured to their diagonal corners. The diagonal bars T are inclined in opposite direct-ions in adjacent frames, and prevent the bees from building the combs across the frames and compel them to build the combs straight and of uniform size. The lower edge of the diagonal bars T and of the top bars of the frames S are made V-shaped to guide the bees in attaching the combs. The lower rear corners of the combframes S rest upon the upper part of the bottom A, and their lower forward corners rest in the rabbet of a bar, U, attached to the inner surface of the front, C, at alittle distance from its lower end. The rear bar of each comb- IOO frame S rests in notches in the inner edges of two bars, V, attached to the upper and lower parts of the inner surface of the back l, so that the comb-frames will be held in exactly the desired position. The upper parts of the front bars of the comb-frames S rest against a bar, W, attached to the upper part of the front, C, The forward parts of the combfranies S are kept at the desired distance apart by wooden pins X, attached to the inner side of the front bar of each frame S. The pin X of the inner or rst frame, S, rests against the side D, and the pin X of each succeeding frame S rests against the preceding frame S. The last or outer frame, S, has a pin, X, also upon its outer side, to rest against the side E when closed, and prevent the comb-fra mes from having any outward movement. With this construction the comb-frames S will be firmly supported, s0 that they will not break down under the pressure when the combs are filled with honey. The combi'rames can be inserted and removed by taking oli' the cap J and divisionboard K, or by opening the hinged side E.

In eonstructingthe hives thepartsare mostly 2 5 secured in place by glue. A few brads or nails are used-for instance, at the corners of the comb-frames; but when used their heads are driven beneath the surface of the wood, and are covered with wood, putty, or glue, so that there is no exposed metal in the interior of the hive to collect moisture and frost, and thus introduce dampness and cold into the hive. f

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Tlie rectangular comb-frames S, having V- shaped upper and diagonal bars, the rabbeted bar U, the notched bars V, the bar W, and the pins X, combined with the back B, the front. C, the sides D E, and inclined bottom A, as shown and described.

DAVID C. CRI PE.

'itnesses:

FRANK O. CORNWELL, J. U. BLICKENSTOFF. 

